Final Goodbyes
by DragonWolfStar
Summary: What if fic. One-shot. What if Kenshin never gained the will to live, never learned the succession technique? What if, on that morning, Hiko actually killed him?


Summary: A what if fic/one-shot. What if Kenshin never gained the will to live, never learned the succession technique? What if, on that morning, Hiko actually killed him?

Disclaimer: I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

A/N: I don't know how I came up with the idea for this fic, but I hope you like it. (Inspiration strikes at the weirdest of times.) And yes, I know that a bunch of the parts in here are kind of cheezy, but deal with it. And as for the title, it's just because I had nothing else to call it. I'm really bad with names.

Final Goodbyes

Flashes of memories spun crazily through his mind as he stared at the oncoming form of Hiko. He saw Sano, Yahiko, Misao, Aoshi, and Okina.

He saw Kaoru.

At that moment, he knew he had to live. For everyone in his life he had to go on living. But as he prepared to strike, removing the sword partially from the sheath with his left thumb, he saw one more person.

Tomoe.

He felt the expected guilt and self-loathing that the memory of her brought forth and, in that moment, he hesitated.

That hesitation was all that Hiko needed.

Charging forward with grace and speed, Hiko struck the nine vital points of his apprentice's body with a mighty Kuzuryusen.

Kenshin died instantly.

* * *

Kaoru stared out the front window of the Aoi-Ya, her eyes reflecting the glow of the evening sun, her face the perfect image of worry. Lately, there had been a lot of reasons for everyone to be worried.

There had been the return of Shishio, Kenshin's disappearance to Kyoto…

…And Kenshin still hadn't returned from his training.

* * *

Hiko stood over the body of his apprentice, seemingly impassive. He knew that someone would have to tell that woman and the kid, though, of the death of their friend. They could handle it from there.

_'You really were an idiot, Kenshin. In the end, all you ever needed was the will to live, and you would have been able to defeat Shishio, and the demons of your past. But you've never cared. Not since you were the child called Shinta. Now you're free. I've done all I can.'_

He wiped his sword clean and turned toward the large city, never once looking back.

* * *

Yahiko walked up to the window where his sensei was currently gazing into the streets, that familiar worried expression darkening her features.

"Don't worry about Kenshin, ugly. He'll be back soon, defeat Shishio, and then we can all go home!"

She turned to look at him briefly, and then returned to stare through the window once more, for once ignoring the fact that he had called her 'ugly'.

"I can't help it, Yahiko," she said softly. "He's been gone for over a week and then there are all of the other things going on… I just can't help being worried."

His forced light-hearted mood died with her words. "I know, but he's, well, he's Kenshin. He'll pull through for us. He always has, and he's strong enough to do it again."

"I know, but after we left Hiko's cabin, I've had this really weird feeling. It's gotten stronger. It makes me feel like something's gone wrong, and we won't be seeing him again."

It was at that moment that Misao chose to enter the room, causing Yahiko and Kaoru to turn towards the doorway. "Come on, Kaoru! It's just like the brat said, and if there's anything I know about Himura, it's that he is strong enough to be able to come back, especially now that you're waiting for him!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, WEASEL GIRL?"

"You heard me, brat!"

Kaoru sighed and returned her attention back to the streets below. She gasped in surprise and excitement. Maybe her worries had been all for nothing, for her eyes had been quickly drawn to the immense figure on the busy roads.

"What? What is it, Kaoru?" the two bickering companions asked in unison, their senior's gasp having caught their attention.

"Hold on, I just saw Hiko!" she said, the happiness clear in her voice. She looked back out the window and started searching for her red-haired companion, not even noticing when her two friends joined her in her scrutiny of the thick crowds.

She started to panic slightly when she didn't see the familiar flash of red, or the bright pink gi, the tell-tale signs of Kenshin. She scanned the area over and over again, her gaze going further and further from Hiko.

"I don't see him!" she cried, trying to keep her voice steady. From what she had learned of the current Hiten Mitsurugi master, was that whatever he was supposed to be doing, he had Kenshin do it instead. So why would he be here?

Her eyes followed the giant of a man and she knew he was headed toward the Aoi-Ya.

She wrenched her face from the window, effectively cutting off her view of the man below. She stood abruptly and practically ran to the entrance of the building, her two comrades right behind her.

* * *

When Hiko reached the entrance of the Aoi-Ya, he fully planned on simply telling the girl, saying some condolences, and letting them get the body for whatever funeral rights they wished to impart upon his student. It wasn't that he didn't care, but dealing with people had never been his strong suit, living the life of a hermit as he was. So when he raised his hand to knock, he hadn't really expected to be confronted with an irate, albeit fearful, raccoon girl staring in his face.

"Where's Kenshin?" she asked quietly.

Ah, well, at least he didn't have to instigate the conversation.

He briefly glanced behind her as her two pint-sized friends arrived before switching his gaze back to the girl, Kamiya Kaoru, wasn't it?

He had intended to get right to the point, as avoiding the subject tended to never end well, but he found himself growing uncomfortable in the petite woman's stare.

"Can we talk about this inside, Kamiya-san?"

She blinked, apparently surprised by formality from what she considered a slightly lazy and boorish man.

"Umm, sure."

He stepped inside as she led him to a room where they could talk. His eyes flickered again to her companions as he saw the short weasel-like one leave, muttering that she was going to get someone named Okina and fix some tea.

* * *

Saito had taken the liberty of escorting Sano out of the prison, walking with him to the restaurant/inn where he knew the rooster-head's friends were staying. Stepping up the guest entrance, he rapped quickly on the door, smirking slightly when he saw the look on the raccoon's face as she opened the door.

"Saito-san, how may I help you?" she said, not quite able to disguise the revulsion in her voice.

"The rooster here escaped his coop. I am merely returning him."

Her features took on a surprised look and she turned her eyes behind him, finally catching sight of Sanosuke.

"Oh."

"Well, I'll be leaving…"

"Sano, hurry inside, Hiko is just about to tell us where Kenshin is."

This caught Saito's attention and he quickly changed his mind. "On second thought, I think I'll stay for a few minutes, if you don't mind."

Kaoru took no notice of him, instead waiting impatiently for Sanosuke to respond.

"You mean you don't know where he is?"

"We sort of did, until now."

With that said, she turned her back on the unlikely pair and trudged to the room Hiko was waiting in.

Without waiting for the rooster to follow, the wolf silently stepped inside the threshold.

* * *

Hiko really had only meant to tell the raccoon, and was getting uncomfortable with the growing audience.

First it had only been the Kamiya girl, but now it was her, the weasel, the brat, the rooster, the wolf, and a seemingly old man.

"So, what did you come here to tell us?" asked the rooster, whose name he learned to be Sagara Sanosuke.

"What happened to Kenshin," he replied. Simple enough, he supposed.

"What do you mean what happened?"

Of course, there would be the interruptions. Why did his apprentice have to have such annoying people as friends?

"Simple. He died."

Misao choked on her tea and he heard Kaoru's cup fall with the sound of breaking clay.

"W-what?" Yahiko sputtered. "I t-thought he was only t-training!"

"He knew the consequences if he failed. He never learned the succession technique."

"YOU MEAN YOU KILL THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T DO THE FINAL TECHNIQUE RIGHT?" Misao screamed.

"No. It was my final gift to him. He couldn't find it within himself to want to live, so he died. He would have only suffered if he continued living."

"But now who's going to take care of Shishio?" Saito interjected. "As much as I hate to admit it, I can't do it by myself."

"IS THAT ALL YOU CARE ABOUT? THIS IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN SOME IDIOT WHO WANTS REVENGE!" Sano yelled, ready to practically tear Saito's head off.

"The death of one person is less important than the death of many, idiot rooster."

Sano looked like he was ready to argue some more, but Hiko calmly stopped their argument by saying; "I'll take care of it." _'I suppose there is one last thing I can do for you.'_

Sano was about to tell him that it was his fault they were in this position anyway, so he had better take care of it when he heard Kaoru say quietly; "Someone will need to get Megumi."

She had her eyes downcast, hidden beneath her bangs. Silent tears were leaving their silvery trails upon her cheeks.

"Please, Hiko," she said, speaking the Hiten Mitsurugi master's name with difficulty. "Where is he?" She spoke so quietly that even Hiko had a hard time hearing her words.

* * *

Such a large group of people could not easily go unseen into the mountains, so it was no surprise when two icy-blue eyes followed their every move.

Aoshi had still been searching Kyoto for the Battosai when he had seen the former hitokiri's friends trudging up the path into the mountains. He followed them on their trek until dusk, when they finally stopped at a cabin near a swiftly flowing river that cascaded downward, creating a beautiful waterfall.

His cold scrutiny suddenly stopped when he caught sight of what they had come up there to see.

_'I have no flowers for your graves. I'm sorry.'_

Then he turned and disappeared into the densely packed trees, not even sparing a glance at Misao.

* * *

Kaoru took one look at the corpse of the one person she ever wanted to say 'I love you' to, and she completely broke down. Sliding to her knees and grasping the front of the now blood-stained gi in a death grip. She lowered her head to touch his chest lightly and felt herself shaking with sobs.

Misao bent down and placed a comforting hand on her new friend's shoulder, sharing a few tears with her. Behind her, she could hear Yahiko trying not to cry, but he was still only ten, so cry he would.

Sano just stood there, mouth gaping open in astonishment. The only person he looked up to, aside from Captain Sagara, and the strongest man he knew, was laying dead in the grass because he hadn't completed his training.

Saito had lit a cigarette and was smoking quietly behind the scenes, his face impassive.

Hiko silently left, to fulfill his promise and take care of Shishio. Without turning around he said to Kaoru; "The Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki is only for those who have the will to live. He never cared whether he lived or not, so long as he could protect those he loved. This was his mistake."

Kaoru had barely heard Hiko's words. She just sat there, crying into the ridiculous pink gi that she would have given anything to see Kenshin walking around in now. False happiness or not.

"I never got to tell him," she whispered.

"Never got to tell him what?" Misao asked gently.

"I never got to tell him that… that I…"

"That you what? You can tell us."

"That I loved him…" she finished, and couldn't say any more.

* * *

Sano had braved the train to Tokyo and retrieved Megumi in time for the funeral. She had been almost unsurprised by the news, but that did not mean she had taken it well. She had asked a multitude of questions, and was now sitting quietly with everyone else.

No one knew what to say.

* * *

The group had stayed at the Aoi-Ya for about a month before finally packing up to go home. Misao had been trying to cheer everyone up almost every day by going sight-seeing, picnicking, and any number of other activities, and was sad to see them go.

"I promise I'll come visit! You guys have fun! Bye!"

"Bye! Thanks again for everything, everyone!"

Kaoru then turned toward the train, Tokyo, and her home. She knew that Kenshin wouldn't have wanted her to be so unhappy, so she decided that after she got home, she may just wander a bit and find a reason to be.

To find her happiness.

The End

* * *

A/N: Thanks for bothering to read this!And please review! 


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